CAB80-25 — Page 45

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18. Research. Research and experimental work is being carried on with a view to the improvement of existing apparatus and the development of new smoke producing apparatus with particular reference to the possibility of using home produced fuel.

G

19. Finance.

has

Expenditure of the order of £700,000 been incurred on smoke production up to the present date. This does not include the cost of military personnel.

20.

IV. USE OF SMOKE FOR PROTECTION PURPOSES BY THE ENEMY.

Reports have been received which show that the enemy is using smoke for concealment purposes at night. R.A.F. pilots have observed sm-ke being used to cover a target on the Dortmund-Ens Canal; and during a recent raid on Berlin the whole town was seen to be covered by smoke emitted from generators on the windward side. In both cases the smoke was said to be very effective in concealing targets.

21.

The reports are reproduced in Appendix E.

V. OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS.

At

The Ministry of Home Security have given consideration to the desirability of modifying the scope and control of future operations at vital targets. present, given suitable weather conditions, schemes are operated according to a fixed schedule, determined in relation to brightness of the moon. No account is taken of (a) the likelihood or otherwise of enemy activity in the vicinity, or (b) the probable time of commencement of enemy activity. As regards (a) it is recognised that operational control of smoke screens presents considerable difficlties, but substantial economies in fuel, etc., could almost certainly be effective if it were possible to introduce it in some form, however imperfect. In regard to (b) operations are scheduled according to moonlight illumination figures and may, for example, cover the period 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. yet in practice enemy activity may commence at 6 p.m. Another question which arises is whether operations should be confined to moonlight nights or whether they should be extended to moonless nights. The effectiveness of smoke screens on moonless nights with and without parachute flares is to be tested at the Northern Ireland experimental scheme and it may be best to await results before considering any expansion in this direction.

In regard to the points raised above it is suggested

(a) that the question whether some form of

operational control could be introduced should be considered by the Ministry of Home Security and the Air Staff.

(b) that operations on moonless nights should

not be extended until the results of the Northern Ireland experiment are available.

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